Ironing table



March 1, 1938. o. A. FLAGSTAD IRONI NG TABLE Original Filed Feb. 15,1935 2 Shets-Shet 1 M T 5 m6 m F fl m 5 0 A TTORNE Y.

March 1, 1938. o. A. FLAGSTAD IRONING TABLE Original Filed Feb. 13, 19352 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. 05cm? a. ruzesr/m A TTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 1, 1938 Driginal application February 13, 1935, Serial No.6,300. Divided and this application September 8, 1936, Serial 99,728.

11 Claims.

This invention relates to ironing tables of the collapsible type and theprimary object is to provide a comparatively simple, eflicient, andpractical construction of table that is virtually automatic in foldingand setting up operation, by which is meant that it is entirelyunnecessary for the operator to do more than pick the table up and tiltit to effect the collapsing operation or to return it to normalhorizontal position to completely restore the supporting legs and bracesto operative position.

A further object is to provide a new and novel design of spreadable rearleg frame, which is also automatically operative, when the table is setup and collapsed, and which has for its object to transversely spreadthe rear leg frame, to thereby give better lateral support when thetable is in use, and which will contract or close such legs toward eachother, when the table is collapsed, so as to narrow the width of thestructure and thereby economize on space when packing, shipping, andstoring the table.

In addition to the foregoing and highly important aspect of theinvention, it may additionally be noted that the table is so formed asto utilize a minimum amount of material and is therefore light in weightand economical of manufacture, and, further, is so formed that when inuse it is unusually sturdy and rigid, a primary consideration in allironing tables.

The present application is a division of my copending application SerialNo. 6,300, filed February 13th, 1935, for Ironing table, whichapplication has matured into Patent No. 2,056,004, on

V September 29th, 1936, and attention is directed to that patent forfurther understanding of the present structure as Well as the broaderconception of the invention in its more general aspects.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment ofthe invention: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the table as set up andready for use.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the table as shown in Fig. 1, but showingit in a partly lifted, tilted Fig. '7 is an enlarged, detail section online 'I-! in Fig. 4.

Reference will now be made to the various figures of the drawings byreference characters, like parts being designated. by like characters inthe particular figures wherein such parts are shown. It may here benoted that as a matter of convenience the terms board or ironing boardwill be used in its popular sense to indicate broadly the fiat elementpresenting the ironing surface, and regardless as to whether said. boardis strictly a wooden board, or is made of sheet metal or other material;and, the termstable or ironing table will be employed in the broad senseof including both the board and also the supporting structure which ismade up of the legs, braces, and other collapsible ele ments.

The table essentially comprises an ironing board A, a rear supportingleg frame B, a forward or front leg frame C, a connector frame D,connecting the leg frames, and a brace frame E which constitutes a trussbetween the rear end of the board A and leg frame B.

The two leg frames B and C are pivotally attached at their upper ends,as at 8, to depending lugs 9 of a cross bar It) secured to the undersideof the board A. The rear leg frame comprises upper and lower sections Hand i2, respectively, pivotally connected as at l3, and with the lowersection extending above the pivot for stopping engagement against theupper section so as to produce a jack knife joint effect maintaining thesections in alignment when the frame is in erected position, as shown inFigs. 1 and 4.

The frame section 0 i includes two laterally disposed links connected bya transverse'bar M, which bar has right angular lugs at its ends,pivoted to the links of the section II, as at IS. The legs proper of theframe section l2 are shown as being formed of angle iron, and these legsare connected by a pair of toggle links 16, joined by pivot pin ll. Thispin also serves as a pivot connection for the lower end of a connectingor tierod I8, the upper end of which attaches centrally to the cross barM as at I9.

The leg frame C is generally V-shaped in form and is preferably made ofa single solid rodbent at its middle to form the two side members. Thisleg frame of course provides the third point of floor support for thetable, and to maintain proper spacing and rigidity is tied to the legsof frame B by the connector frame D which is'also V- shaped in form andpreferably formed of bar or rod iron. The connection between the apexends of frames C and D must provide relative pivoting action andpreferably comprises an eye forming strap 2 E of one frame encirclingthe other. The rear ends of the bars forming frame D are pivotallyconnected to the frame B by being formed with loops or eyes 26 (Fig.3),through which extend extensions 2i of the frame E, these extensionsbeing riveted to the frame legs 82, as at 22, after passing throughspacer collars 23.

The brace frame E is also generally V-shaped in form, to better bracethe rear end of the board with respect to the other frames, and ispivotally secured at its upper end to the board by a hinge formingbracket 25.

The operation of the table may be explained as follows: When the tableis in its vertical and collapsed position, as shown in Fig. 5, thevarious parts will assume the positions as therein shown, and at whichtime, as previously noted, the legs 12 will be drawn in so as not toproject beyond the lateral limits of the board. This drawing in iseffected by the connecting rod l8 which breaks the joint between thelinks it, and by a toggle action moves them downwardly to thereby pullin the legs l2. It may here be noted that the pivotal connections 8 andl 3 have a slight amount of freedom to permit this transverse swingingaction of the legs. When the table is to be set up the board A is merelygrasped and gradually lowered to its horizontal position, and as thismovement is effected the various frame and supporting parts move throughthe position indicated in Fig. 2 and to the final position as shown inFigs. 1, 4, and 6, the action of gravity being the only force requiredto move the parts into their respective places; and if the leg sectionsH and I2 do not immediately assume their aligned positions they willimmediately do so upon slight pressure being exerted downwardly on theboard A.

It is of course understood that as the rear leg frame assumes itsoperative position the connecting rod ill will pull up on the togglelinks !6 until they are drawn into horizontal positions as indicated inFigs. 4 and '7, and at which time the lower ends of the legs l2 areforced outwardly to their spread positions.

When the table is to be collapsed after use, the operation is reversed,and ordinarily the parts will, without any special assistance, functionas desired. However, if the joint I? does not immediately break becauseof friction, as might be caused by paint or too tight pivot points, thenthe operator only has toexert a slight rearward pressure on this jointafter the table has first been slightly lifted off of the floor; andwhen this is done the respective movements of the several parts willautomatically function as indicated.

It may here be noted that inasmuch as the connector frame D does notslide with respect to the frame B, it is necessary to provide the joint13 in the rear leg frame so that when the sections II and [2 arejack-knifed or doubled against themselves, the distance between thecenters 24 and 2| and thence to H3 will be equal to the distance fromthe point 24 through the pivot 8 and to point l3. And the joint l3 mustbe so located that when the various frames are entirely collapsed thedistance from the center 2! to the center I3 will be equal tothe lengthof the links H, plus the distance from the center 2| to the pivot 8. Thepurpose of the pivots i5 is to per mit the cross bar it to turn on theaxes of these pivots so that the connecting rod l8 can be rigidlysecured against one. of the fiat faces of the cross bar It, the turningmovement at l5 being required by the folding action as indicated in Fig.2. When the connecting rod l8 has pulled the toggle links l6 up into thehorizontal positions indicated inFig. 4, it will of coursebe obviousthat these links will cooperate to form a rigid connection between thelegs inasmuch as the connecting pivot pin I! is then retained by the rod[8 at a fixed elevation.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in thestructure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within thespirit and scope of the appended claims. Having now therefore fullyillustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new anddesire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A collapsible ironing table comprising a normally horizontal board,downwardly diverging front and rear leg frames pivotally connected attheir upper ends to the board intermediate its ends, the rear leg framehaving a jack knife joint intermediate its upper and lower ends forbreaking movement from the normal erected position of the frame, amember connecting the leg frames to maintain them in normal boardsupporting positions, and a brace frame connecting the rear end of theboard to the rear leg frame to maintain the board in its horizontalposition.

2. A collapsible ironing table comprising a normally horizontal board,downwardly diverging front and rear leg frames pivotally connected attheir upper ends to the board intermediate its ends, means connectingthe leg frames to prevent them from spreading beyond erected positions,

and an inclined brace frame having pivot connections at its oppositeends with the board and rear leg frame, respectively, to support theboard in operative position, said rear leg frame being collapsible abovethe point of its pivot connection with the brace frame to permitcollapsing of the several frames into parallel positions adjacent theboard.

3. A collapsible ironing table comprising a normally horizontal board,downwardly diverging front and rear leg frames pivotally connected attheir upper ends to the board intermediate its ends, means connectingthe leg frames to prevent them from spreading beyond erected positions,andan inclined brace frame having pivot connections at its opposite endswith the board and rear leg frame, respectively, to support the board inoperative position, said rear leg frame being sectionally formed abovethe point of its pivot connection with the brace frame, and saidsections having interbracing contact with each other when in erectedpositions, thereby to form a rigid support for the rear end portions ofthe board.

4. A collapsible ironing table comprising a normally horizontal board,downwardly diverging front and rear leg frames pivotally connected attheir upper ends to the board intermediate its ends, the rear leg framehaving a jack knife joint intermediate its upper and lower ends forbreaking movement from the normal erected position of the frame, aconnector frame secured at one end to the front leg frame, and pivotallyattached at its rear end to the rear leg frame, and a brace frame havingfixed pivot connections at its opposite ends with the board and rear legframe respectively.

5. A collapsible ironing table comprising a normally horizontal board,downwardly diverging front and rear leg frames pivotally connected attheir upper ends to the board intermediate its ends, the rear leg framehaving a jack knife joint intermediate its upper and lower ends forbreaking movement from the normal erected position of the frame, aconnector frame secured at one end to the front leg frame, and pivotallyattached at its rear end to the rear leg frame, and a brace frame havingfixed pivot connections at its opposite ends with the board and rear legframe respectively, said front leg frame and connector frame both beingsubstantially V- shaped in form and having their apex ends pivotallyconnected, and said rear leg frame having transversely spaced membersfor contact With the floor and providing lateral support for the board.

6. A collapsible ironing table comprising a normally horizontal board,downwardly diverging front and rear leg frames pivotally connected attheir upper ends to the board intermediate its ends, the rear leg framehaving a jack knife joint intermediate its upper and lower ends forbreaking movement from the normal erected position of the frame, aconnector frame secured at one end to the front leg frame, and pivotallyattached at its rear end to the rear leg frame, and a substantiallyV-shaped, inclined brace frame secured with its apex end to the rear endof the board and its arms pivotally attached to the sides of the rearleg frame.

7. An ironing table comprising a board pivotally secured intermediateits ends to a rearwardly inclined rear leg frame and a forwardlyinclined front leg frame, a leg spacing frame rigid throughout itslength and having fixed pivot connections at its front and rear endswith the respective front and rear leg frames, said rear leg framehaving a transverse joint intermediate its pivot connections with theboard and spacing frame permitting a jack knife folding action of theupper part of the rear leg frame, and a brace frame connecting the rearleg frame to the rear end of the board.

8. An ironing table comprising a board pivotally secured intermediateits ends to a rearwardly inclined rear leg frame and a forwardlyinclined front leg frame, a leg spacing frame rigid throughout itslength and having fixed pivot connections at its front and rear endswith the respective front and rear leg frames, said rear leg framehaving a transverse joint intermediate its pivot connections with theboard and spacing frame permitting a jack knife folding action of theupper part of the rear leg frame, and a brace frame connecting the rearleg frame to the rear end of the board, said brace frame being rigidlengthwise to support both ends of the board against tilting movement onthe leg frames when in erected positions.

9. An ironing table comprising a board pivotally secured intermediateits ends to a rearwardly inclined rear leg frame and a forwardlyinclined front leg frame, a leg spacing frame rigid throughout itslength and having fixed pivot connections at its front and rear endswith the respective front and rear leg frames, said rear leg framehaving a transverse joint intermediate its pivot connections with theboard and spacing frame permitting a jack knife folding action of theupper part of the rear leg frame, and a brace frame connecting the rearleg frame to the rear end of the board, said brace frame having pivotforming ends connecting the spacing frame to the rear leg frame.

10. An ironing table comprising a board pivotally secured intermediateits ends to a rear- Wardly inclined rear leg frame and a forwardlyinclined front leg frame, a leg spacing frame rigid throughout itslength and having fixed pivot connections at its front and rear endswith the respective front and rear leg frames, said rear leg framehaving a transverse joint intermediate its pivot connections with theboard and spacing frame permitting a jack knife folding action of theupper part of the rear leg frame, and a brace frame connecting the rearleg frame to the rear end of the board, said rear leg frame havingtransversely spreadable legs, and means responsive to the straighteningand folding of the rear leg frame for spreading and contracting the legswith respect to each other.

11. An ironing table comprising a board, downwardly diverging front andrear leg frames pivotally attached to and for supporting the board,means for releasably bracing the leg frames and board in erectedpositions, said rear leg frame having upper and lower sections pivotallyjoined below the point of pivot attachment to the board, said lowersection having transversely spreadable legs, and means operative uponswinging said leg sections with respect to each other and on theirconnecting joint to spread and close the legs with respect to eachother, said last mentioned means comprising a pair of toggle linksconnecting said legs of the. lower section, a bar connecting the uppersections of the legs, and a rod connecting the links to the bar.

OSCAR A. FLAGSTAD.

